The Age from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia • Page 1

TIBEIE 7 38 pages tAiSr 137th Year, No. 42,293 Tuesday 18 December 1990s 50c More sfcwd-downs Talks fail Volunteers supervise the intellectually disabled Mm MUM POiTUt iTr-i r-TTT i i mrrrl saH-l He liHALLblMljb rUK AKUHI IbvJIb II 6 I approval ClM.0 for casMo i i rp i ifA "Si -1 u4 v.lf A woipseinis pressure from licensed clubs, such as RSL and sporting clubs, for poker machines to be allowed on their premises. The gaming machines to be allowed in future could include poker machines, plus the Tabaret-. style machines and possibly other sophisticated forms of gaming machines. It Is believed the Department ol Sport and Recreation has a legal opinion from the solicitor-general, Mr Hartog Berkeley, QC that the TAB could introduce various types of gaming machines and comply with the law.

The casino being proposed by the Government would be a different style from the large casinos in other cities such as Adelaide, the Gold Coast and Hobart It would also be different from that being considered by the State Opposition. The Government wants to see a small casino, similar to the London style of operation, with strict controls. This could involve a requirement that patrons make bookings for the casino to allow security checks to be made; Soon after the Government came to office, it set up an inquiry Into casinos by Mr Xavier Connor, QC In 1983, Mr Connor recom- -nmaAmA amIm .1 i By ROBVN DIXON, State Cabinet yesterday gave the go-ahead for a casino for Victoria, and for the extended use of gaming machines throughout the state. The Government is likely to make an announcement in the next week about extended forms of gambling In Victoria. It is also expected to announce that tour provincial centres will get a Tabaret the La Trobe Valley, Geelong, Bendlgo and Balla-rat.

All four centres are seen as electorally sensitive. Cabinet has decided that licensed clubs will be allowed to Install gaming machines under strict standards. The Government committee reviewing the Issue, chaired by the Attorney-General, Mr Kennan, still has much work to do on the detail surrounding the expansion of gambling. But a decision In principle on the Government's revised gambling policy will be announced. The Premier, Mrs Kirner, was keen to see a public announcement on the Issue before the end of the year.

There Is still some work to be done on the minimum standards that will govern the machines. The review committee met yesterday afternoon to continue Its work on the Issue in the light of the Cabinet decision. The Government will enable the TAB and Tattersall's to involve themselves In gaming machines. The two bodies have been vying for the right to install machines. The TAB developed the technology for the gaming machines installed at Melbourne's Tabaret, which was opened recently.

There has been Intense public The flve-oay-oW dispute between the State Government and th Hospital Employees "-Federation (Na 2 Branch) centres on the Government's decision to marge psychiatric hospitals, drug and alcohol services and intellectual Usability centres wttfi the perioral health system. The workers, Including 600 psychiatric nurses, are conoornod the proposed morpor win affect working conditions and career opportunities despite Government assurances that existing agreements be kept VOLUNTEER8 NEEDED AT: i i WW 1 1 4 'J 'l i' believes borders oa social vandalism. "The fact mast be understood: the aarslag staff at this aad ether centres did not agree with the work baas," he says. "We have aarses who say they'll come back aad work for free. They nst waat to care tor their patieats." Progress.

At Caloola today, says Mr Chate, It weald eqaate with the HEF leaders "behaving like normal Rival South Africanf cricket bodies merge One of more BOO intellectually disabled people at Caloola being cared for by executives and volunteers. 'C The patient's face has been masked to protect her privacy. Progress one oi many victims Tom McCuIIough with on of (h J897 VFL minute book. Found: the holy writ of the VFL LAHEY AT LARGE JOHN LAHEY Four precious pieces et football history the first minute heeks and correspondence keeks et the Victorias Football League have aaeipeetedly taraed ap la MlhamM. Tfcv Amtm tram These are the VFL's Dead Sea Scrolls, Not only are they deterieratlaa.

eiclUaa aad dinicait to read; they are -aamlstakably the Uwthe original documentation, Notfclag makes this clearer thaa a letter dated 4 March 1117 from the VFI Itcnlin a Otm aak Australlaa FoothaU Association. la this, he oetllncs prop seed 'rale chaises goals sboald coaat -as ill petals aad behlads as eae polat; a mark sboald act he 'taken from leas thaa yards, and the kick-off sheald be "It yards la treat of the goal posts. Here wo have the Law from the beglaulng. Part ef this letter says; "The leagne are entirely with yea la tyeur desire to have the game made more open." The signature Isthatef Edwin Wilson, the Dengue's pioneer secretary. Copies ef every early letter be 1 are here.

The bosks docameat team colors, players' dress aad umpire allocations, aad they record the first football dab to bo iaed (St Hilda, for startlag a game late). Celllagwood was aaotber team to get Its aame early late the books. It ladaeed the VFL to declare 11 Jaae 1197 vaeaat of premiership matches becaase it wasted to play a game agalast South Australia. The minutes and eeirespeadeace each fill two boaad books, raaalag to thoasaads of words. "They are a gold mine," the director of the Aastrallaa Gallery ef Sport, Mr Tern McCuIIough, said yesterday.

The gallery has boaght them from a sec ad-hand dealer who had held them for 17 years. Mr McCalloogh said the books were pot ap for anctloa la 197! whoa "a whole stack" of VFL property was being sold. Continued PAOI UNDSAV MURDOCH, toueVEast Asia corrotponuont, Malaysia will hold talks with Asian neighbors on a plan to form a regional trade bloc that excludes Australia. Malaysia Intends to take the lead In setting up an Asia-Pacific trade group If the deadlocked Uruguay Round of world trade aiwitlailAiia Mitaui bVa t. uvapijaiiviM uiuuvt ips MUVagCQ early next year.

The arnnnlna nrnnniarf ku Malaysia's Prime Miaister, Dr Mahathir, ht a snub for Australia, which last year initiated the Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEQ and has worked closely with Malaysia la the Cairns Group of free-trade nations to push the interests of agricultural nations at the trade nego-OarJoas. Dr Mahathir wants East Asian nations to discuss a commoa market or trade bloc to counter what he regards as emerging blocs la North and South America and Europe. i Asian countries at first reacted Asian The Australian Cricket Board said yesterday that the news of a merger between South Africa's two rival cricket bodies was a step forward but It was difficult to say when the banned nation would return to International competition. The establishment South African Cricket Union (SACU) and the anti-apartheid South African Cricket Board (SACB) said in Johannesburg yesterday that a single merged association would immediately take over the running of the sport Cricket's governing body, the International Cricket Conference (ICC), has told South Africa that a solitary ruling body was one of the conditions for read mission to world cricket By DANIELLE TALBOT Victoria's psychiatric hospitals and intellectual disability cen-, tres were in chaos yesterday following further stand-downs and a shortage of volunteers. The dispute worsened after 200 direct-care staff were stood down by Community Services Victoria for refusing to resume normal duties, causing widespread disruption to intellectual disability centres across the state.

About 170 workers who did not turn up for work last night were expected to be stood down this morning. Community Services Victoria's 1 decision to suspend workers follows action by the Health Depart-ment, which' stood down more than 1500 psychiatric workers last Friday after they refused to sign no-strike contract About 200 centres, including 20 major psychiatric hospitals.drug; and alcohol services and Intellectual disability centres, are relying on volunteers and noa-union staff to care for patients. The onion at the centre of the dispute, the Hospital Employees Federation (No. 2 Branch), said last night that it would lodge an application In the Supreme Court to force the State Government to compensate workers for lost pay and conditions. Emergency talks yesterday between the union, the ACTU and ministers failed to reach agreement Further talks are planned today -i The union's state secretary, Ms Kaye Williams, said last night that the Government's enthusiasm for standing down workers had aggravated the crisis.

"They have Jeopardised clients' health and well-being, as well as putting the safety of volunteers at risk," she said. The dispute arose last Thursday when psychiatric and Intellectual disability workers began a campaign of rolling stoppages to protest against the proposed merging of Victoria's psychiatric, drug and alcohol, and intellectual disability services Into the general health system. The workers, members of the union, believe the Government's decision will result In reduced working conditions and career opportunities. 1 The director of disability plan-' nlng at CSV, Ms Teri Whiting, said the department had no choice but to send home workers when they refused to resume normal duties. She said other workers employed at the centres had walked off the Job to protest against the depart-ment's action.

She said the Caloola centre at Sunbury, Janefleld at Bundoora coolly to Dr Mahathir's proposal for the bloc which he wants to base on the stz-member Association of Soulh-East Asia Nations plus China, Taiwan, Hoog Koag, Japan aad Indochina. Analysts said Dr Mahathir, angry that the world trade talks had become a battlegroaad for the US and the European Comma nlty, wanted East Astaa coaatrtee to start talking to "sew the seeds" of trade bloc aad send oat a warning ahead of resumed noaotl-attoat scheduled for January. more trained staff that have been stood down. The greatest safferiag is that ef Caleola's clients. Maay are profoaadly latellectaally disabled.

Maay are distressed by the strange assaalt oa the routine ef Ufe at the leafy estate. All are Innocent victims ef Vic teria'e volatile inn nst rial dl- aeate. Mr Daltoa Is matched la his eihaastiea by Brian Chute, the president ef the Cemblaed Iasti-taHoaal Parents Asseclatiea la Iatellectaal Disability, whose sea lives at Caloola. Both men fear disaster. Some of the clleats have had epileptic flta la the past few days, aad ethers are potentially vleleat "There la risk says Mr Daltoa His elaberatlea Is Interrupted by a call for emergency medical help la eae of the residential aalts.

Mr Chate shakes klskead with grief as he considers a dlspwte he of casinos, arguing that they attracted organised crime. Mr Connor also argued that while there was no demonstrable ucmaiia lor casings in Victoria, their Introduction would be likely to stimulate casino gambling to an unacceptable degree. Soon after he assumed the leadership, the Opposition Leader, Mr Brown, announced that be was in favor of a casino. Since then, the Introduction of casinos has become coalition policy. The chief executive of the ACB, Mr David Richards, one of Australia's two delegates to the ICC, said the game would have to look closely at what was happening In South Africa.

"There Is obviously a process of considerable change going on within South Africa and the news today of the Is a positive step forward." The ICC is due to meet in Melbourne on 10 January, but Mr Richards said it would not be possible then to plot a date when South Africa, In effect banned from the International arena since 1970, could return to world cricket -PAOE Report PAOE 11: EdHorlaL 1890 uauiNa 11990 MOm rmn rljCnMInC Urundel Psychiatric Calobla Training Contra, 300. Bundoora Repatriation Hospital, 120. I Janefleld Training Centre, Bundoora, 200. Wng 111 7172 far dotaea. and Colanda at Colac would urgently need volunteers to sup- plement small number of super- visory staff who were battling to maintain basic services.

It is believed that staff at Kew Cottages, the Pleasant Creek Training Centre at Stawell, and -Kingsbury at Bundoora lifted their bans last weekend. The Opposition health spokeswoman, Mrs Tehan, said failure of the Health Minister, Mrs Hogg, to resolve the dispute was a strong Indication that she was putting her own political future ahead of the long-term needs of Victoria's psychiatric patients. The president of the Combined Institution Parents Association, Mr Brian Chute, said last night that the situation at the Caloola centre was desperate, with fewer than 29 volunteers to supervise more than 900 patients. Police were called to ward of Ararat's Aradale Psychiatric Hospital yesterday afternoon when Garry Webb barricaded himself In his cell Police said Webb had threatened to push a pen Into his eye. After a doctor talked, to him, the door was opened police moved-Webb to an isolation The trade 4alks under the General Agreement of Tariffs and Trade broke dowa oa 7 December in Brussels, throwing the future of the trading system Into Jeopardy.

Trade officials from several Asian countries said today that they were less thaa enuusiastic about the plan because it could be risky for their trade with Western nations. Senior Malaysian officials have Indicated In briefings over the past few days that Dr Mahathir's plan excluded Australia aad New Zealand. A senior Malaysian official said: "It seem as if Australia aad New Zealand cannot make up their minds whether they are part of the West or Asia." -t. spokesmaa for the Department of Foreign Affairs aad Trade said la Canberra today that there might be a proiUeratioa of proposals to explore trade options If the trade negotiations tailed. But he said Australia's aim at the moment was a satisfactory out-come of the round, parttcasariy on agricultural reform.

trade plan snubs Australia By MICHAEL SHORT do not seek perfection nst progress. So reads the faded photocopy oa the door of Dong DaHea office. Last sight progress was the last thing oa the atiad at the chief executive of Saabarys Caloola tralalag centre, where more thaa IN lnttllectaally disabled people are being eared for by volant eers. Progress. This arable goal has been smashed by crisis aad sadness.

After five days ef eop-lag with the hamaa fallewt of aa Industrial dtopate between the Geverameat aad the Hospital Employees Federatlea (No. 2 Breach), the charcoal rings that eagalt Mr Dsltoa's eyes tell of a maa oa the edge. Heisaotalaaelahisstreas.At eae stage yesterday, ealy sevea people were trylag to care for the people of Caloola. Normally, this work la done by the IN or He said that If there was a drift towards trade blocs Australia would review all the options. Australia considered Itself to be part of the Asia-Pacific region, which was why It Initiated APEC APEC groups 1 regional countries with the aim of Improving economic cooperation.

Malaysia was at first hesitant to support the group, on the ground that It could weaken Asean. The Australian Prime Minister, Mr Hawke, warned on 10 December that Australia must fear a Sobal slide towards trading blocs lied with economic and political tension. He said transforming APEC into a trade group was one option for Australia. Japan rejected the Malaysian plan at the weekend, saying that it hoped me world trade talks would eventually succeed. Malaysia's Minister for Inter-national Trade and Industry, Ms Rafldah Aziz, said she would soon lead delegatioa to the Aseaa members Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Brunei aad Thai-lead to discuss the piaa.

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raws "i Amusements 13 Business Age 29-32 Comics 1g Computers 33-38 TV Guide 12 Editorial 11 law List 32 Letters 10 Classified index 14 Personal notices 14 Management at a mining company in Brazil has a new approach to strikebreaking show erotic films to employees. According to union leaders, company officials have been playing the blue movies to entice noR-strifcing laborers to stay in the factory. si TODAY: Few showers. Expected top 22 (yesterday 35, minimum Throe day forecast 2 -12 of Collins Street 320 COtlins Street, Melbourne. Telephone 670 9951.

Collins Place. 45 Collins Street, Melbourne. Telephone 670 9051 476 Toorak Road, Toorak. Telephone 676 1225. 1990 "t1.